The mindset of a true professional thief was on a completely different level from that of ordinary people.
While the principal and professors were conducting an on-site inspection, someone managed to pick the lock and steal items in the meantime.
Inside a glass flask were colorful potions.
Yi Han could feel the complex and diverse magical energy emanating from them.
"But what kind of potions are these?"
"I'm not sure."
"... I see."
Come to think of it, Ratford was a professional thief, not a professional alchemist.
He probably just grabbed whatever he could without knowing what they were.
'I don't know either.'
Yi Han had read various books and done some preparatory learning while he was with the Wodanaz family, but identifying potions without any labels was beyond him.
"Yonell, do you have any idea?"
"This is..."
Yonell picked up one of the flasks and examined it with a serious expression.
"It looks like alcohol."
"... That's ridiculous."
"It looks like wine."
Yonell carefully opened the cork lid, sniffed it, and nodded.
"Yeah, it's wine."
"......"
"Still, the others seem to be magical potions. We’ll probably need to go to the library to figure out what they are..."
"That's a relief, at least."
Ratford wasn’t surprised by the casual conversation between the Wodanaz and Making family members about the stolen potions.
It wasn’t his place to question what his superiors were doing.
'Even the stolen potions are being used.
His capacity is truly vast.'
"Thank you, Ratford. I’ll make good use of them."
"Not at all. It’s an honor to serve. Just call me whenever you need me."
"Don’t be so formal... Hey, want to help me take care of the horses?"
Since they were at the stables early in the morning, it seemed like a good idea for Ratford to get acquainted with the horses.
At Yi Han’s suggestion, Ratford bowed his head.
"Yes. It would be an honor."
"Enough with the honor."
"Honor..."
"Stop it."
"Yep."
Thud—
"?"
Someone dropped something behind them.
Yi Han turned his head.
Nylia was standing there with a shocked expression.
"... You’ve made... a new friend..."
Nylia, looking betrayed, took a step back.
Yi Han and Yonell quickly rushed over.
"What? That’s all it was? You should’ve told me. I’m not the kind of person to misunderstand something like that."
"......"
"......"
Yi Han and Yonell exchanged meaningful glances.
'Wasn’t she about to misunderstand?'
'She definitely was about to misunderstand.'
Fortunately, the ridiculous misunderstanding that Yi Han was trying to replace Nylia with Ratford as a new friend from the Black Turtle Tower was cleared up.
Ratford said with a serious expression,
"I’m not a friend, but a subordinate... Ugh."
"Oops. My hand slipped."
Yi Han used the horse brush he was holding to cover Ratford’s mouth.
"Alright, let’s all take care of the horses together."
There were a few more students in the stables trying to get along with the horses.
Professor Lightning Step had told them to "get along with the horses," but not many students were diligent enough to wake up early in the morning to do so.
And the horses were merciless even to those diligent students.
"Ah! Stop spitting!"
"Listen to me! What’s your problem? What are you so upset about?"
The horses headbutted, spat, and tried to bite the students’ hands.
But Yi Han wasn’t surprised.
'There’s no such thing as a well-behaved experimental animal.'
Of course, the horses were rough, but it wasn’t the worst.
At least they weren’t running away or throwing their own dung.
"Here, let me brush your fur."
—Whoosh!
The white horse entrusted by Professor Lightning Step glared at Yi Han.
It was clear that it intended to strike as soon as he got close.
But Yi Han approached without hesitation.
Swoosh!
The white horse tried to headbutt him.
Yi Han leaned back, dodging it as if he had expected it.
The white horse’s eyes widened.
It hadn’t expected Yi Han to dodge.
Splat!
The white horse spat this time.
Yi Han dodged again, as if he had anticipated it.
"Good, good. You’re doing well."
Snap!
The white horse tried to bite, but Yi Han sidestepped and approached it.
Still, the white horse didn’t give up.
Though its legs were tied, it tried every trick in the book.
Yi Han dodged, blocked, and endured all the attacks.
Nylia, watching from behind, could only marvel.
'How can he endure like that?'
If it were Nylia, she would’ve already cursed or whipped the horse.
But instead of getting angry, Yi Han kept soothing the horse, saying, "Good, good."
Is this the dignity of a noble?
—Whoosh...
After a while, the white horse, exhausted, lowered its head.
Only then could Yi Han pick up the brush and start grooming the horse’s fur.
Even as it was being groomed, the white horse glared at Yi Han.
It was clear that it would start acting up again as soon as it regained its strength.
'Is this horse really mixed with some monster’s blood?'
Yi Han was puzzled by the unusually stubborn white horse.
The other horses didn’t seem this fierce...
Thud!
"Alright, that’s enough."
Yonell, who had been struggling with another horse, walked out covered in mud, his face beaming.
Nylia and Ratford were also in rough shape.
"But the horse is starting to listen."
"I think I’ve gotten pretty close to mine."
At their words, Yi Han turned to look at the white horse.
The white horse turned its head away as if to say, "Don’t even think about it."
Normally, a young student would’ve been furious or given up in the face of such stubborn resistance, but...
'Well, it’ll give up eventually.'
Yi Han’s heart was as calm as a lake.
No matter how much the white horse acted up, it couldn’t be worse than the professor.
Yi Han simply set aside his emotions and focused on what needed to be done.
After finishing the grooming, Yi Han mixed some feed and placed it in front of the white horse.
The horse ate while staring intently at Yi Han, as if to say, "Don’t think this means I’m giving in."
"I’m thinking of taking it out for a walk now."
Nylia said as she brushed off the mud.
Taking the horses out for walks was essential when caring for them.
Regular walks kept the horses healthy.
And for those trying to get along with the horses, walks were helpful too.
Spending time together would eventually open the heart of even the most stubborn beast.
'Hmm.'
But Yi Han wondered if the white horse would really follow him obediently.
It was still attacking him now.
If they went out into a wide open space, wouldn’t it try even more varied attacks?
"Hmm..."
Yi Han looked down at the iron bracelet and belt he was wearing, then glanced at the white horse again.
The horse felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding from that look.
"I’m here!"
"......"
Thunder Step opened the door with a controlled expression.
Lightning Step, standing outside with a tin cup, entered the cabin.
"Brew some tea!"
"You don’t even like the tea I make..."
"I’ll endure it, so it’s fine!"
"......"
Thunder Step boiled the kettle with a sad expression.
He hadn’t realized how much he’d miss Yi Han.
"The freshmen are working hard at the stables."
Lightning Step said as he gulped down the hot tea.
If there was one talent that applied to both alchemy and taming, it was diligence.
The reason Professor Lightning Step had deliberately gathered temperamental horses for the <Basic Mount Training> class was simple.
To teach the freshmen the importance of diligence.
There were many conditions for getting along with unfamiliar animals, but the most important one was diligence.
Without diligence, you couldn’t get along with any animal.
"I deliberately made the horses’ temperaments worse, but if you put in the effort and care for them, they’ll eventually calm down and open up. But those who try to tame them with force and whips will get a taste of their own medicine."
When assigning this task, the students’ reactions were divided into two.
Those who diligently came early in the morning to get along with the horses.
And those who arrogantly tried to control the horses with spurs and whips as they always had.
The horses prepared by Lightning Step were not the kind that could be controlled by such methods.
The lazy students would get a harsh lesson.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"......"
As Lightning Step laughed heartily and set down his cup, Thunder Step shook his head.
'He really enjoys tormenting the students.'
Thunder Step had no idea that Yi Han saw him as similar to Lightning Step.
I’m different!
"How’s the Wodanaz kid doing?"
"Ah, Wodanaz. He’s diligent, so he’ll do well. Though the griffin is a bit tricky. With diligence, cleverness, and a bit of luck, he should be able to get along with it."
"?"
Thunder Step paused while pouring the tea and looked up.
What did he just say?
"What did you just say?"
"What?"
"You just... said something about a griffin."
"You must’ve misheard. I said horse."
"......"
Thunder Step looked at Lightning Step with a mix of shock and horror.
Did he really transform a griffin into a horse...?
"No way?"
"What?"
"......"
'No, calm down.
Maybe the horse’s name is Griffin.'
Thunder Step regained his composure.
Griffin.
A flying monster with the head and wings of an eagle and the claws and legs of a lion.
Arrogant, picky, and fiercely loyal to its master.
Depending on the region, their temperaments and habits varied, but one thing was certain.
They were not something a freshman could tame!!
"What’s the horse’s name?"
"Gr... Phongrig."
"... Are you out of your mind!??!"
Finally unable to hold back, Thunder Step exploded.
What kind of madness was this, assigning such a task to his injured alchemy apprentice who was taking a day off?
"What’s wrong with you, nephew? Why are you causing such a fuss?"
"Even so, transforming a griffin into a horse!?"
"When did I do that? Do you have proof? And even if I did, wouldn’t it be safe if it’s transformed into a horse?"
"Do you think a griffin’s intelligence is on par with a slime’s!?"
The cabin was filled with the sounds of cups breaking, chairs flying, and tables being smashed.
A typical dwarf family quarrel.
—Whoosh...
"Hey."
Yi Han looked at the white horse with a satisfied expression.
As if its earlier tantrum had been a lie, the white horse was now obedient and well-behaved.
To be precise, Yi Han had made it that way.
He had equipped the horse with all the mana-absorbing iron bracelets and belts he had.
"As expected, absorbing its mana made it more obedient."
All living beings are born with some level of mana, so when their mana is absorbed, they naturally lose energy.
The white horse, now wearing all of Yi Han’s items, had its energy drained and couldn’t muster the strength to resist.
"Alright, let’s get along from now on."
—Whoosh...
The white horse obediently followed as Yi Han led it by the reins.
Seeing this, Yi Han suddenly thought of something.
'But even after equipping all the bracelets and belts, it’s still able to walk.
Does that mean the horse has more mana than I thought?'
Either the bracelets and belts weren’t absorbing much, or the horse had a lot of mana.
'Even if it had some monster blood, its mana shouldn’t be that high.
Maybe the equipment isn’t absorbing as much as I thought?'
Lost in thought, Yi Han continued walking with the horse.
Up ahead, a few students who had rashly mounted their horses were crying and begging.
—Let me down, please!! I’m sorry! I was wrong!
'Is there a way to increase the mana absorption?'
This was just another day in the magical academy, now familiar and unremarkable.